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November/December 2006 vol.12 no.6 issn 1082-4383
Highlights in this Issue
Say Cheese!
What do you do with the pictures you take at the library? Does anyone ever see
them? Are they in a dusty shoebox in the back room or stored safely away on a
hard drive? Why not share them with the world by putting them up on Flickr.
Nebraska Memories Website Online
Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related
historical and cultural heritage materials held by Nebraska institutions and
make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet.
Trial Access to Ancestry Library Edition and
ProQuest Obituaries Databases
ProQuest Information and Learning has been
offering Nebraska libraries trial access to two genealogy databases:
Ancestry Library Edition and ProQuest Obituaries.
Playaway Digital Audiobooks
The Nebraska Library Commission is pleased to announce the addition of Playaway
digital audiobooks to our discount purchasing program. Playaways come pre-loaded with audio digital content, so they don't require
licensing, subscriptions, memberships, or even an Internet connection. Patrons
just plug in headphones and listen!
Introducing the
NEBASE Hour!
The NEBASE Hour is a FREE, monthly, online information session on OCLC
products and services. The NEBASE Hour will be held on the first Wednesday of
the month.
Table
of Contents
Past issues of
N3
SAY CHEESE…
What do you do with the pictures you take at the library? Does anyone ever see
them? Are they in a dusty shoebox in the back room or stored safely away on a
hard drive? Why not share them with the world by putting them up on Flickr.
Flickr is a photo web sharing site that allows users to store, share and search
photos. Before I share the Flickr URL with you I should warn you that I find
Flickr addictive. I could spend hours looking at all of the cool photographs
people have posted. If you want to check out Flickr now go ahead but don't
forget to come back and finish reading my article, I have a lot more URLs to
share. Flickr is located at:
http://www.flickr.com.
If you went out exploring Flickr did you find the Nebraska Library Commission's
photos? We are just getting started with our Flickr account. We have posted
pictures from the Database Roadshows, the NEBASE Annual Meetings, the NLA/NEMA
Convention, and a few fun photos of the goodies NLC staff brought in for
Halloween. You can view our photos at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/librarycommission. Just don't forget to come
back and keep reading!
We have also set up a Flickr Group. A Group is a place individual Flickr members
can bring together photos that share a common theme. You can find a Flickr group
on almost any topic you can imagine. Now there is even a Group where we can
bring together pictures from Nebraska Libraries. Our Group Photo Pool is pretty
small right now. Most of the photos are pictures of library buildings that we
took on the way to and from Chadron for the NEBASE Annual Meeting. The Nebraska
Libraries Group is located at:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/nelibraries.
Now we want to see your library. Here is where we need your help. We would like
libraries in Nebraska to set up their own Flickr accounts and upload photos of
their library. After you have the photos uploaded you can add them to the
Nebraska Libraries Group. It's easy to set up a Flickr account and there is no
cost for a basic account. To get started, go to Flickr (http://www.flickr.com),
click on Sign up! and then follow the directions on the screen. Wait!
Don't forget to keep reading this article, I have a few more URLs to share with
you.
Before you set up your own account would you like to see what other libraries
are doing? Here are two Nebraska libraries I found as I was browsing Flickr.
Here are a couple of other public libraries that have Flickr accounts:
Other states have also set up library groups. Here are some you can check out.
If you haven't already spent enough time looking around Flickr here are a few
more URLs you might want to check out. First of all, do you need a bit of
inspiration when it comes to book displays? Take a look at the Book Displays in
libraries or anywhere Group. I'd like to go for a "swim" in the Dunedin
Library's children's reading area.
Book Displays in libraries or anywhere:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/bookdisplays
Do you have a lot of signs in your library? Want to see what signs other
libraries have? I'm sure all of these signs were created with good intentions,
but I bet you can find at least one that will make you smile or laugh.
Library Signage: http://www.flickr.com/groups/librarysignage/
The last one I want to share with you is the Westmont Public Library in
Illinois. Take a look at their photos of new books and DVDs. Click on one so you
see the full image. Now move your mouse over the image. Do you see the boxes
around the books and the bubble that shows the title and author of the book? Now
click on the information in the bubble. It's a link that will take you directly
to the library catalog where you can check the availability of the item or place
a hold for it. Isn't this more interesting than a simple text list of titles?
Westmont Public Library: http://www.flickr.com/photos/westmontlibrary
I hope these sites have provided some inspiration to get you started with your
own Flickr account. Don't forget after you upload your photos to add to them the
Nebraska Libraries Group. Let's see how large of a Group we can create!
Allana Novotny
Network Services Librarian
Nebraska Library Commission
Back to Contents
NEBRASKA MEMORIES WEBSITE ONLINE
Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related
historical and cultural heritage materials held by Nebraska institutions and
make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. The Nebraska
Memories site is now available online at
http://www.memories.ne.gov.
The primary source materials available through Nebraska Memories are owned by a
variety of institutions across the state. Participants work with the Library
Commission to digitize the items and create metadata records describing each
item. The CONTENTdm software will accommodate digitized files including sound
and moving images. Currently 2,333 items are available in the Nebraska Memories
database which will continue to grow as participants add more items. Ten groups
have contributed materials. The collections are:
- Butler County Gallery (Hruska Memorial Public Library & Boston Studio
Collection)
- Hastings Public Library
- High Plains Historical Society (McCook Public Library & High Plains Historical
Society and Museum)
- Keene Memorial Library (Keene Memorial Library & Dodge County Historical
Society)
- Nebraska State Historical Society
- Nebraska Library Commission
- Omaha Public Library
- Polley Music Library - Lincoln City Libraries
- Sarpy County Historical Museum (Sump Memorial Library & Sarpy County
Historical Museum)
- Wayne State College
In addition four other groups are preparing items to be added. They are:
- Bellevue University
- Crawford Public Library & Crawford Historical Society
- Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room
- Raymond A. Whiter Tilden Public Library & Antelope County Historical Society
After you have looked at the Nebraska Memories website, please take a few
minutes to tell us what you think by completing the short survey that is linked
off of the front page of the website.
Libraries or Nebraska cultural heritage institutions interested in adding their
own materials to the web site can contact Shannon Behrhorst
for more information. You can also find more information for participants at
/nebraskamemories.
Shannon W. Behrhorst
Network Services Director
Nebraska Library Commission
Back to Contents
NEW WEB CONFERENCING SOFTWARE FACILITATES ONLINE
TRAINING
On November 1, the Nebraska Library Commission Network Services team began using
the Centra Live web conferencing service for its online training sessions.
Because Centra Live uses Voice over IP (VoIP) technology for the audio portion
of sessions, access to a telephone is no longer required to participate.
However, to hear the presenter and comments from other participants, attendees
must be using a computer with a sound card and speakers. To ask questions and
participate in class discussion, attendees will also need a microphone.
To learn more about participating in online sessions via Centra, see our new
Nebraska Library Commission Online Sessions page available at
nlc.nebraska.gov/training/online.html.
Because Centra Live has built-in VoIP to handle audio, Commission staff no
longer need to coordinate the scheduling of online sessions with the
availability of the State's telephone conferencing service. This provides us
with greater flexibility in setting up online sessions, which in turn allows us
to offer services such as customized training (see Online Training On Demand
below).
Online Training On Demand. Do you have several library staff
members in need of Network Services training that is not currently scheduled?
Does the topic lend itself to online instruction (e.g., a database demo)? If so,
please email Shannon Behrhorst or call
402-471-4031 or 800-307-2665 to discuss
the possibility of scheduling a private live online session. For the most
effective learning experience, each participating library staff member should
have access to a computer with a sound card (see technical requirements for more
information).
Susan Knisely
Online Services Librarian
Nebraska Library Commission Back to Contents
LEARN IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN LIBRARY VIA THE NEBRASKA
LIBRARY COMMISSION ONLINE SESSIONS
Are you unable to attend a scheduled Nebraska Library Commission workshop? Do
you need to learn more about NebraskAccess, Nebraska Memories or NetLibrary?
Would you like to brush up on your searching, cataloging or interlibrary loan
skills? Do you have a new staff member to train? Would you like to see a product
in action before making a purchasing decision?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Nebraska Library Commission
Online Sessions are for you!
The Nebraska Library Commission offers instruction and demonstrations in live
online sessions. These sessions allow participants to gain training and
information through a web conference conducted via the Internet and a toll-free
telephone conference call.
If you missed one of the live sessions, or if you would just like to see it
again, these online sessions have been recorded and are available online for you
to view at your leisure. Each recorded session is viewable from a web browser.
You will need a sound card and either earphones or speakers. There is no cost to
view these recorded sessions.
Some of the sessions available are:
- CatExpress Training
- Connexion Client Updates and Training
- Dewey Decimal Classification
- eLibrary via NebraskAccess
- FirstSearch Administrative Module
- HeritageQuest Training
- Nebraska Memories & CONTENTdm
- NetLibrary Training
- NetLibrary eAudiobooks
- OCLC WorldCat Resource Sharing Updates and Training
- OCLC Local Holdings Maintenance Training
- OCLC Usage Statistics
- Understanding MARC 21 Bibliographic Records
- Using WorldCat for Genealogical Research
- WebDewey
- WorldCat Cataloging Partners
- WorldCat Collection Analysis Service
- WorldCat Search Strategies
These sessions, and many others, are available via the Nebraska Library
Commission Training Portal. To see the complete list of online or archived
online classes, select the location of 'Online'. The NLC Training Portal can be
found at:
/training.
Christa Burns
OCLC Member Services Coordinator
Nebraska Library Commission
Back to Contents
PRICEMINER LIBRARY EDITION BECOMES PRICE IT!
GoAntiques,
creator of the PriceMiner database of antiques and collectibles, has partnered
with Thomson Gale to distribute PriceMiner to libraries under the new name
"Price It! Antiques & Collectibles."
Through Thomson Gale's partnership with GoAntiques, Price It! Antiques &
Collectibles users still have access to a powerful aggregator of information
that identifies and prices pieces from a variety of internationally recognized
sources. Price It! Antiques & Collectibles searches millions of records from a
variety of data sources, ascertaining the item's current value and presenting
historical pricing information, photos and descriptions for the same or similar
items. Users can search Price It! Antiques & Collectibles by any combination of
keywords, data channels (online auctions, online retail sites, auction houses),
categories, sales dates, sold or unsold items and by restricting the search to
only records that have images. GoAntiques will use the opportunity presented by
the new partnership to focus on providing additional, value-added content to the
database.
More information about Price It! can be found on the Nebraska Library Commission
Web site at
nlc.nebraska.gov/netserv/pricing/priceminer.html.
Susan Knisely
Online Services Librarian
Nebraska Library Commission
Back to Contents
TRIAL ACCESS TO ANCESTRY
LIBRARY EDITION AND PROQUEST OBITUARIES DATABASES
Since September 19 ProQuest Information and Learning has been
offering Nebraska libraries trial access to two genealogy databases:
Ancestry Library Edition and ProQuest Obituaries (see
nlc.nebraska.gov/netserv/trial.html#pro for database
descriptions). These trials are scheduled to end on November 17.
If you have participated in these trials and you think your library
might be interested in subscribing to one or both of these
databases, we would like to hear from you! Please email Network
Services
/scripts/mail/mail2staff.asp?databases
with the following information:
- Your library name
- Your service population (FTE/population served/student enrollment)
- The name of the product(s) you think you might be interested in
Providing us with this information doesn't commit you to purchasing
these products, but it does help us gauge whether there is enough
interest in these products to negotiate discounted pricing.
Susan Knisely
Online Services Librarian
Nebraska Library Commission
Back to Contents
HERITAGEQUEST ONLINE NOW CONTAINS 2 MILLION
PERSI CITATIONS
HeritageQuest Online users now have access to still more data from the renowned
Periodical Source Index (PERSI), due to the alliance between ProQuest and the
Allen County (Indiana) Public Library, home of PERSI. The new PERSI release
incorporates 21st-century data, with indexing for over 235,000 articles from
genealogical periodicals published in 2004 and 2005. Altogether, the PERSI
content available within HeritageQuest Online now totals 2 million citations
from over 6,500 periodicals.
PERSI is the standard for periodical research in local history and genealogy,
with indexing for periodicals written in English from 1800 onward. It helps
users find articles about families, local history and records, and genealogical
methodology, both quickly and easily.
Nebraska residents have access to PERSI through the Nebraska Library
Commission's statewide HeritageQuest Online subscription, which is part of the
NebraskAccess statewide database program. For more information see
/nebraskaccess.
Susan Knisely
Online Services Librarian
Nebraska Library Commission
Back to Contents
PLAYAWAY DIGITAL AUDIOBOOKS
The Nebraska Library Commission is pleased to announce the addition of Playaway
digital audiobooks to our discount purchasing program. Playaways provide a
simple and affordable way to offer digital audio books to your patrons.
Playaways come pre-loaded with audio digital content, so they don't require
licensing, subscriptions, memberships, or even an Internet connection. Patrons
just plug in headphones and listen!
Each Playaway digital audiobook title includes:
- Two AAA batteries
- One set of stereo earbuds
- Drop-box friendly library packaging (locking or standard)
- Custom die-cut protective foam insert
- Professionally designed full-color graphical insert
- FREE shipping on all orders of 20+ units
- FREE 40 unit corrugated display on all orders of 40+ units
When Nebraska libraries order Playaways through the Nebraska Library Commission
they will be receive a 20% discount off list price. For more information,
including ordering instructions, links to Excel and PDF order forms, and an
extensive FAQ, see: nlc.nebraska.gov/netserv/pricing/playaway.html.
Playaway will regularly release new titles based on feedback from retailers,
libraries and consumers. Currently, title releases are planned monthly. No
minimum order is required - you can start your Playaway collection with as few
as one title if you'd like! Orders will be accepted on an ongoing basis.
Susan Knisely
Online Services Librarian
Nebraska Library Commission
Back to Contents
HELPING HANDS
Many of us share bibliographic and authority records created by the Library of
Congress (LC) or other institutions. Some of us also contribute records or
enhance existing ones. Do you contribute to shared cataloging?
As of June 1st, LC no longer creates series authority records nor verifies
series titles entered in most new bibliographic records. There is also talk of
changing the Cataloging-in-Publication (CIP) program. Where does this leave
libraries that have relied on these records?
Well, one formal way to help out is to become part of the Program for
Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) through LC. Within PCC are four components: BIBCO
for bibliographic records, NACO for name authority, SACO for subject authority,
and CONSER for serials.
If you wish to contribute or edit authority records for series titles, or other
types of names, your institution would need to become part of NACO. The
commitment to contribute records is tied to the institution, not to specific
catalogers who might leave in the future. After being accepted through the
application process, a week-long training session is required for catalogers who
will participate.
More information about PCC and its specific programs can be found at
http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/.
Devra Dragos
Cataloging Librarian
Nebraska Library Commission
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